FLORENCE (ITALY)
The Academy’s gallery contains the richest collection of sculptures by Michelangelo. In the hall that leads to the Tribune, the walls of which are decorated with tapestries, there are “Pieta Palestrina,” an unfinished statue of the Saint Mathew designated for the Cathedral of Florence and statues of the Four Slaves for the first version of the tomb of Julius II in the old Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. These statues were left also unfinished –– it seems that they are striving to break free from the firm shackles of stone. In the center of the vast Tribune there is the statue of David, which was ordered from the sculptor to replace the Udiff by Donatello on the balustrade of the palace of the Priors. In the same hall one can see art of the Tosca school of XIII-XIV centuries. To the right of the Tribune there are three small halls with numerous tabernacles attributed to Bernardo Duddi and beautiful “Pieta” by Giovanni da Milano. In three small halls to the left of it one can see works by famous masters of XIV century including quadroptych by Andrea Orcani and two series of tapestry with scenes of the Life of Jesus and scenes of the life of Saint Francis by Taddeo Gaddi. To the left of the Tribune there is a big hall where works of Florence Quatrocento are collected. They are “Glad tidings” by Lorenzo Monaco, “Saint John the Baptist and Maria Magdalene” by Phillipino Lippi, “Madonna with a Pomegranate” (artist unknown) and the first part of the chest “Wedding of Adimari” of XV century (artist unknown).
Florence cannot be imagined without the Arno River that was depicted almost by all the Florence artists. At the present time there are ten bridges across the Arno; four of them were constructed after 1957. And still, one of the Florence bridges is unique; it is Ponte Veccio (Old Bridge), one of the most famous places of note of the old city. The bridge justifies its name, since it was not only built earlier than the others, but also because it is the only bridge that was not reconstructed after WWII. There is another unique peculiarity of the Ponte Veccio. It is located on the very spot, where three previous bridges were located: a bridge of the old Roman epoch, a bridge that broke down in 1117 and a bridge that was torn down after a flood of 1333. The Ponte Veccio is preserved to this day almost in the same form it was built in 1345 by architect Neri di Fioravante. The three arches of the bridge contain vast facilities, in which there used to be meat rows and starting from XVI century –– jewelry shops, as well as an open space in the center of the bridge providing a magnificent view of the city on the both sides. In the upper part of the bridge along its full length there is Vasari Corridor created by the great architect for Cosimo I, who was able to walk down this corridor from Palazzo Veccio to Palace Pitty on the other side of the Arno River.
Florence, its appearance having not changed for centuries, will enchant you with magnificence of its palaces and churches, quietness of narrow medieval little streets and the slow rolling of the waters of the Arno River. In one word, Florence is another “Eternal City,” to visit which it is a must!